KARE TODAY ON CITYLINE A LOOK , AT THE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS PROVISION IN U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW AND HOW THOSE , WHO FACE DEPORTATION ARE CONTINUING TO WEATHER THE STORM. ♪ KAREN: GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M KAREN HOLMES WARD, AND WELCOME TO CITYLINE. THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE IN THE U.S. CONTINUES TO A BE HOT BUTTON ISSUE AS CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE ARGUE OVER COMPLEX ASPECTS OF U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW. SPECIFICALLY PROTECTIONS FOR REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER. ANOTHER FORM OF HUMANITARIAN RELIEF UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION ACT YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH IS SOMETHING CALLED TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS, AND HE REMAINS JUST THAT, TEMPORARY. A DEADLINE BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION LEAVES MANY PEOPLE IN LIMBO. AND THE ORGANIZATIONS HELPING TO GUIDE TPS HOLDERS THROUGH THE LEGAL ROLLERCOASTER ARE BUSIER THAN EVER. HERE’S A LOOK AT ONE OF THEM. ♪ >> WE SPECIALIZE IN MARKETING AND PRODUCTION, THAT’S WHAT YOU SEE FOR THIS YEAR. AND WE HAVE BEEN HELPING BUSINESSES. >> THAT’S KENNY, HE RUNS A CREATIVE AD COMPANY IN BROCKTON. HE’S COME ALONG WAY SINCE HE MOVED HERE FROM NINE YEARS -- NINE YEARS AGO. >> I’M PAYING TAXES, I OWN A BUSINESS. >> OWNING AND RUNNING A BUSINESS, ALL OF THAT AFTER HE THOUGHT HIS LIFE WAS OVER. >> THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO MAKE IT ALIVE. THREE WEEKS LATER, MY PARENTS DECIDED TO MIGRATE TO THE U.S., SO I COULD PROCEED WITH MY EDUCATION. >>’S LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE -- HIS LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT HAITI. HE IS ONE OF 1.5 MILLION HAITIANS WHO HAD TO ABANDON THEIR HOMES. >> I COULD NOT STAND ANY GROUND SHAKING IN A BUILDING. THE BUILDING WAS SHAKING, I WOULD RUN. IT HAS TO BE STABLE. >> HE BATTLED TRAUMA AND A LANGUAGE BARRIER AFTER SETTLING IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT HE COULD BE DEPORTED IN LESS THAN X MONTHS -- THEN SIX MONTHS OF THE PLACE THAT HE NOW CALLS HOME BECAUSE HE HAS TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS. >> AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE I WASN’T ABLE TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING THAT CAME MY WAY. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT. >> TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS AS A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM THAT’S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1990, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE FLEEING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS LIKE WAR AND NATURAL DISASTER TO WORK AND LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT NOT FOREVER. >> AND MAKES IT FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE AS A HUMAN BEING, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE, THE ADMINISTRATION DECIDES TO PUT AN END TO IT. SO YOU ARE COUNTING. THE CLOCK IS TICKING. KAREN: FOR KENNY AND 300,000 OTHERS, TIME IS RUNNING OUT. IN JULY OF 2019, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY EXTENDED TPS DESIGNATIONS UNTIL JANUARY 2020, LEAVING JUST MONTHS UNTIL TPS HOLDERS LOSE THEIR RESIDENCY AND THE RIGHT TO WORK. >> IT WAS A SHOCK. I SPENT DAYS NOT ABLE TO SLEEP. TELLING MYSELF I HAVE INVESTORS, CLIENTS, A TEAM. SAY I’M LONGER IN THE U.S., WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE EIGHT YEARS I’VE INVESTED HERE? KAREN:’S INVESTMENT WAS A BIG ONE BECAUSE HIS IMMIGRATION STATUS MADE IT HARDER TO GET AN EDUCATION AND ART BUSINESS AREA -- AND START A BUSINESS. >> I DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AID, GRANTS, I CANNOT EVEN BORROW MONEY. I HAD TO WORK 50 HOURS EVERY WEEK, SOMETIMES MORE TO ALLOCATE ENDING. -- FUNDING. KAREN:’S COMPANY EMPLOYS THREE PEOPLE AND HE DIVIDES HIS TIME BETWEEN CLIENTS AND CREATING ADS WITH VOICE ACTORS AND ORIGINAL MUSIC. LIKE MOST HAITIANS, HE IS CONSTANTLY AFRAID OF BEING DEPORTED. >> I HAVE FRIENDS WHO DON’T GO OUT. IT’S BEEN MONTHS. THEY STAY IN, SAYING I WOULD RATHER BE A CAVEMAN THEN GO BACK TO HAITI. BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, 80 IS TERRIBLE -- HAITI IS TERRIBLE. KAREN: THIS DOCTOR MEETS PEOPLE LIKE KENNY EVERY DAY, SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE IMMIGRANT FAMILY SERVICES INSTITUTE. >> WE ARE A NAVIGATOR FOR FAMILIES, HELPING THEM TO CONNECT WITH SERVICES AND RESOURCES SO THEY CAN REALLY THRIVE. YOU CAN COME IN AND SEE THE WORK ON THE WALL. KAREN: HER ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS IMMIGRANT CHILDREN WITH ACADEMICS AND HELPS PARENTS ADJUST TO LIFE IN THE U.S.. CURRENT EVENTS HAVE MADE HER JOB MORE COMPLEX. >> I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK. IT’S A 20 47 JOB. THE COMMUNITY IS DEVASTATED BY ALL OF THE FEAR OF THE MEMBERS ARE FACING DUE TO THEIR STATUS, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER TPS AND DACA, THEY ARE AFRAID. KAREN: SHE WORKS WITH THOUSANDS OF PARENTS WERE AFRAID THEY WILL BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR CHILDREN ARE BORN IN THE U.S.. SOME COULD BE FORCED TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. >> IMAGINE IF YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO HAITI, IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE TO LEAVE THE U.S. AND THE CHILD HERE AND GO BACK TO HAITI, OR TAKE BOTH OF THEM. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, TO GO BACK? AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE THEY LOST EVERYTHING. KAREN: HAITI IS THE POOREST NATION IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF MONEY. OVER HALF LIVE ON TWO DOLLARS A DAY AND HALF ARE UNDER NOURISHED. >> A REPORT WAS DONE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT COUNTRIES ARE ABLE TO WELCOME BACK TPS RECIPIENTS, ALL SOURCES SAID THAT HAITI IS NOT READY TO WELCOME BACK THOSE PEOPLE. BUT THEY’VE IGNORED THE REPORT, COMING UP WITH THEIR OWN, SAYING EVERYTHING IS READY FOR THEM TO GO BACK. KAREN: THE WHITE HOUSE TRY TO END TPS FOR HAITIANS THIS YEAR, BUT FEDERAL JUDGES BLOCKED THE DECISIONS. A DISTRICT JUDGE SAID THE CHOICE TO END TPS FOR HAITIANS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP OUT NONWHITE IMMIGRANTS. >> WE KNOW SOME OTHER COUNTRIES ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING, BECAUSE THEY ARE WHITE. IF WE COME AND SEE THAT THEY ARE A REAL HUMAN BEING I THINK WE COULD ALL COME BACK TO OUR SENSES AND DO SOMETHING TO SUPPORT, LET’S NOT DESTROY FAMILIES. LET’S NOT CREATE MORE DIVISION. LET’S UNITE. IT’S ONLY THREE UNITY WE CAN BUILD. WE CANNOT BUILD IN DIVISION, WE DON’T BUILD WITH HATE, WE BUILD WITH LOVE AND UNITY. LET’S BUILD WITH LOVE AND UNITY. KAREN: THAT RESONATES WITH MIGRANTS, LIKE NA, WHO DON’T HAVE A PLAN B -- LIKE KENNY, WHO DON’T HAVE A PLAN B. >> MY BACKUP PLAN RIGHT NOW IS TO MAKE MY BUSINESS MORE PROFITABLE, HELPING MORE PEOPLE AS I CAN. IF I HAVE SIX MONTHS, LET ME MAKE THE BEST OF THE SIX MONTHS. KAREN: HE’S NOT HOLDING HIS BREATH. >> I TRY TO SEE THE BEST OF EVERY OCCASION. EVEN AS OF RIGHT NOW I DON’T SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. I AM HOPEFUL. I BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY. IT’S THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH, THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY, IS TIME FOR CONGRESS TO PROVE THAT. KAREN: WHEN WE RETURN, A CLOSER LOOK AT WHO GETS TO STAY AND WHO HA

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CityLine: Sunday, September 8, 2019: Temporary Protected Status-TPS

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Updated: 12:35 PM EDT Sep 8, 2019

Who gets to stay in this country, and who has to go? That question is driving immigration debates around the nation as the White House seeks to end a humanitarian program under the Immigration and Naturalization Act called Temporary Protected Status (TPS). CityLine profiled TPS recipient and business owner Kenny Azi. He fled the Haitian earthquake in 2010, and now he's afraid his time in the United States is running out. Hear about the struggle for a humanitarian program that allows over 300,000 migrants to live and work in the United States. We'll meet immigration advocates on the front lines of the legal and social battle for TPS. Hear from Dr. Geralde Gabeau of the Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI), Patricia Montes from Centro Presente, and Ivan Espinoza from Lawyers for Civil Rights. CityLine is also joined in the studio by Marty Martinez, Boston's Chief of Health and Human Services, as well as Sarang Sekhavat, the federal coordinator for the Massachusetts Immigrants and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA).

Who gets to stay in this country, and who has to go? That question is driving immigration debates around the nation as the White House seeks to end a humanitarian program under the Immigration and Naturalization Act called Temporary Protected Status (TPS). CityLine profiled TPS recipient and business owner Kenny Azi. He fled the Haitian earthquake in 2010, and now he's afraid his time in the United States is running out. Hear about the struggle for a humanitarian program that allows over 300,000 migrants to live and work in the United States.

We'll meet immigration advocates on the front lines of the legal and social battle for TPS. Hear from Dr. Geralde Gabeau of the Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI), Patricia Montes from Centro Presente, and Ivan Espinoza from Lawyers for Civil Rights. CityLine is also joined in the studio by Marty Martinez, Boston's Chief of Health and Human Services, as well as Sarang Sekhavat, the federal coordinator for the Massachusetts Immigrants and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA).